


Innocence

by QueenRiley



Category: Power Rangers RPM
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-13
Updated: 2010-03-13
Packaged: 2017-10-07 22:47:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/70037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenRiley/pseuds/QueenRiley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An accident in the lab has some unfortunate side effects.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Dillon was steadfastly ignoring Dr. K. He busied himself under his car, despite having actually finished checking his belts. She'd been talking for days about a new prototype weapon. It was supposed to reduce enemies to non-threatening, non-dangerous beings. He hadn't understood even a word of the science, but she'd been excited. He'd never seen her quite so animated. And it was finally finished, apparently, because she had emerged and was asking for volunteer testers. He did not want to be her guinea pig any more than he already was, and so he stayed on his back underneath his car. She would protect him. She always did.

He didn't have to wait long, at least. After a moment of silence from the entire rest of the team, he heard Ziggy jump off the couch and agree to help. He didn't have to see her face to know Dr. K was frowning and, if it wouldn't have revealed his location, he would have laughed when she asked for anybody other than Ranger Green. Scott begged off with a training session. Flynn said he had to go visit his dad. Summer claimed she had to wash her hair. Gem and Gemma were in the middle of making explosive putty and they couldn't abandon it now or it could blow up the entire garage. He was not about to volunteer, no matter how much Dr. K didn't want to work with Ziggy, and so, out of options, she consented and he heard the doors to her lab hiss shut behind them.

Not ten minutes later, they all stopped what they were doing. There was an awful lot of yelling coming from the lab. This wasn't entirely unusual when Ziggy was helping out in there, but it seemed a bit more worried than frustrated this time. Dillon stood up to listen closely, the others following his lead. He took off at a run when Dr. K yelled out, quite desperately, Ziggy's name. She didn't call him Ranger Green. She had called him Ziggy. The other rangers were right on his heels.

The door slid open and Dillon stopped in his tracks, the others skidding to a halt at his side. Dr. K was standing behind her computers. There was a large bubble of bright blue light in the middle of the room. They could just make out the outline of the green ranger in the middle. There were three piles of dust in front of him and he held a small gun in front of him as if frozen in place. The blue light emanated from the back of the gun and encased him like a bubble. Dillon couldn't look away.

"Dr. K, what is it?" he asked.

"I don't know! This shouldn't be happening!" She was typing furiously, glancing up at the monitors every so often. Summer inched forward and reached out as if to touch Ziggy, but Dillon grabbed her arm and pulled her back. He shook his head.

"What should it be doing?" Gemma asked, circling Ziggy slowly while Gem peered closely at the gun.

"The weapon is designed to change the molecular composition of the enemy, to reduce it to it's core components. There were three successful fires before the fourth try. Instead of firing outward, the weapon locked and energy discharged backwards onto… Ziggy." His name sounded odd and forced coming from her, but Dillon supposed it was better than nothing. She'd get used to it.

"Can you stop it?" Gem asked, cautiously touching the barrel of the gun. It did nothing. Dr. K tapped some more on the keyboard and her eyes scanned the monitor.

"Attempt to remove the weapon, Gem," she whispered. Gem took a step to the side and wrapped his hand around the barrel. With Scott's help, they were able to tug it out of the bubble. It came out with a satisfying pop. In doing so, the blue bubble of light began to bend and twist radically. Dillon put his hands out and shoved Summer and Flynn back towards the door while Dr. K ducked and Gemma, Gem, and Scott jumped out of the way, hitting the floor. The light flashed and the bubble dissipated back into the gun. Ziggy collapsed to the floor and everybody rushed towards him.

"Oh my god," Summer exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand.

They stared down at the prone figure on the floor. He was quite a bit smaller than Ziggy. Dillon gently turned the tiny body over so he was lying on his back. He was still breathing, but he didn't wake up. The soft brown curls were shorter, but long enough to frame the cherubic face of the small child lying where only moments ago, the adult Ziggy had stood. Flynn was the first to speak, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Doc, what did you do?"


	2. Chapter 2

Dr. K, Gem, and Gemma were analyzing data from the weapon in the lab. Flynn made a smoothie for lack of anything else to do. Summer and Scott paced alternately behind him. Dillon, meanwhile, just sat on a stool he had pulled over. They were all staring at the tiny body on the couch. He was alive. He was breathing. He had a pulse. He just wouldn't wake up.

Dillon had carried him out of the lab and over to the couch. He'd been surprisingly light. Summer had put one of her pillows under his head and covered him with a blanket she swore she didn't sleep with, though Dillon had no idea why she would need a blanket quite that small otherwise. The child was definitely Ziggy, there was no question about that. He had the same slight build, the same angular jaw, the same thin lips. His face was fuller, though, and his skin had a softness to it that was absent in the older Ziggy. His hair was shorter, though his bangs still fell over his eyes, and his curls were tighter at the base of his neck while the rest was more wavy than curly. It was a lighter brown, almost blonde when the light hit it just right.

Dr. K came out of her lab with Gem and Gemma on her heals. Dillon stood up. Scott and Summer stopped pacing. Even Flynn came over, smoothie in hand.

"What did you find out?" Dillon asked. He shoved his hands in his pockets for lack of anything else to do with them. Dr. K peered over the arm of the couch at the still unconscious child.

"Well it's definitely Ra… Ziggy," she sighed. They all stared at her. It was one of the few times she had uttered something quite so obvious. She cleared her throat and continued. "It appears there was an energy build-up I had not anticipated. It overloaded the weapon and caught Ziggy in the energy field. It appears to have reverted his genetic structure to that of an earlier state. Frankly, we're lucky he wasn't vaporized outright."

"Can you fix it?" Dillon asked.

"It will take some time. I have to completely rebuild the weapon. The overload short circuited the internal hardware and I have to rewrite it from the base code up."

"Don't worry. We'll help!" Gemma put her hand on Dr. K's shoulder.

"It will go faster with three," Gem reassured.

"So what do we do in the meantime?" Scott asked.

"We take care of him." Dillon walked back over to the couch. Large chocolate brown eyes looked up at him with an innocence he had never quite seen reflected in the older version.

"How badly is he affected? I mean, will he remember anything? Will he be our Ziggy or… younger?" Summer asked. Dillon smiled down at the little boy.

"Why don't you ask him?" he replied. He held out his hand and Ziggy looked at it suspiciously. He wouldn't take it, though. He sat up and looked around at the others, taking in the garage and each individual face. They all came over and he just stared.

"Where am I?" he asked in a voice rough with disuse. Flynn bounded into the kitchen for a glass of water. Summer sat down on the couch near Ziggy's feet. Dillon took the stool he had left unoccupied earlier and Scott stood behind him. They were all just staring. It had to be uncomfortable, having so many eyes so fixated on him.

"You're in the garage," Summer prompted, reaching out for him. Ziggy backed into the corner of the couch and pulled his knees up to his chest. He was well out of her reach.

"Who are you?" he asked. Flynn offered him the water, but he wouldn't take it. Summer and Flynn looked to Dr. K who could only shrug her shoulders. This was unfamiliar territory even for her. Apparently, he didn't remember anything at all.

"We're the Power Rangers, it's okay." Scott said. He glanced at Dillon and nodded almost imperceptibly. They would tell him only what he needed to know. Ziggy watched them, took in their leather jackets and morphers, and then reached for the glass of water. His little hands wrapped around the glass and he chugged it down as fast as he could.

"I'm Dillon. This is Scott. That's Summer, Flynn, Dr. K, Gem and Gemma; they're twins." Dillon pointed to each person in turn.

"Do you know who you are? How old you are?" Summer asked. He looked warily at her hands but she kept them in her lap this time.

"Ziggy Grover. I'm six." He handed the empty glass back to Flynn. He started to rattle off an address but Dillon stopped him.

"You're a long way from home, Ziggy Grover. What's the last thing you remember?" Ziggy looked down and frowned. He picked at the blanket for a minute and Summer made a tiny desperate noise in the back of her throat.

"I was at school, I think?" Nobody quite knew where to go with that. None of them knew much about Ziggy's past. Dillon tried to think of some explanation for how a little boy could get from school to the Power Ranger base of operations in a completely different city without knowing it. Scott stepped up and took over.

"There was a monster attack, Ziggy. You got knocked on the head. We brought you here. How do you feel?" Ziggy reached up and felt around his head. His fingers combed through his hair expertly and, when he was done, he suddenly looked considerably more like the older Ziggy with his organized mess of curly hair.

"There's no bump. I'm fine," he said. Summer reached out and snatched her blanket back before he could fiddle with it any more. For lack of anything better to do with the boy, as none of them were really well versed in occupying a small child for extended periods of time, Flynn offered to show him some comics. Ziggy's entire demeanour did a complete turnaround and he practically jumped at the chance. Flynn took his hand and led him up to the bedroom and his select favourite comics. He'd been slowly rebuilding his collection since arriving in Corinth and he now had so many that most were kept in a spare room at his dad's place.

"What do we do now?" Summer asked.

"Find him a bed to sleep in and hope Dr. K gets that gun fixed soon. It's all we can do," Scott said. He followed Flynn and Ziggy upstairs with the pillow from the couch and a new blanket under the guise of setting up the spare bed in their room for their little visitor. Dr. K pulled Gem and Gemma off to the lab, hopefully to get the weapon sorted. Dillon and Summer just stared at each other.

"Did you see the way he checked his head when Scott told him he got hit? It was like a doctor checks for swelling or concussion. How do you think he knew to do it?" she finally asked quietly. Dillon looked down at the floor. He realized then he knew absolutely nothing about Ziggy's childhood. Was his dad a doctor? Did he fall down a lot? He had no clue. All he knew was he didn't like it.


	3. Chapter 3

He'd been with them for twenty-four hours and they were quickly realizing that Ziggy-the-young-adult had only a fraction of the energy Ziggy-the-child had. He and Flynn had read all Flynn's comics. He and Summer had coloured pictures and practically wallpapered the kitchen with artwork. Flynn had gone down to the video store and picked out a few movies to borrow. Ziggy had ignored one entirely and bounced and talked his way through the second. Flynn gave up with movies when he wouldn't stop jumping on the couch. Summer had begged off afternoon watch insisting she needed to run some time sensitive errands and no way could it wait. She'd offered to take Ziggy with her, if one of the boys would let her borrow their car, but they quickly shot down that idea. They agreed he would need to stay within the garage for the time being. His appearance could raise too many questions if anybody bothered to look closely.

Scott had taken him to the training room, hoping to work off some of the energy, and they played games for two hours. They had thought maybe kicking around a soccer ball would help, but Ziggy jumped from game to game faster than Scott could keep up. Dillon had poked his head in an hour into the energy-burning session and found Ziggy chasing a small bouncy ball around the room while Scott ducked out of the way. An hour after that, Ziggy charged upstairs and zoomed around the garage making race car noises while Scott managed to get to the couch before collapsing. He dozed while Ziggy was still going strong.

"Hey, Flynn! Flynn! Scott taught me to play soccer! And I'm really bad at it cause I nearly broke his head, he said. And then I really did break the lamp. And did you know the punching bag will swing back and knock you down if you push on it and don't move? I zoomed all the way across the floor three times before Scott made me stop!" Ziggy was currently running circles around Flynn in the kitchen. After nearly tripping on the boy twice, Flynn pleaded with Dillon. Summer still wasn't back yet, Dr. K refused to even talk to the boy unless she had to, and Scott was exhausted. He sighed and grabbed Ziggy's arm before he could make another lap around the kitchen.

"You like cars?" he asked. Ziggy nodded enthusiastically. Dillon opened the doors to his beautiful, cherished piece of machinery and Ziggy practically dove inside. He bounced on the seat for a bit, pretending to take sharp turns. He had to get on his knees to see over the steering wheel and then he discovered the back. There was no seat, just a rough storage area full of mostly lollipops and some old plastic bottles. He still had the map and Ziggy spread it out as best he could. He spent the next little while bouncing back and forth from the back to the seats in the front. Dillon was just standing and marveling at the energy when Flynn beckoned him over.

"Has he talked to you at all?" Flynn asked. Dillon wasn't entirely sure what he meant.

"He spent all day with you and Scott. What would he ask me?"

"He hasn't once asked about his mam or da. He hasn't wanted to call them, hasn't asked when they're coming to get him, hasn't asked to go home. Has he asked you?" Dillon shook his head. He furrowed his brow and went over to nudge Scott. He cocked his head toward the kitchen area and Scott, yawning, followed. They had the same conversation with the same result. Ziggy hadn't asked anybody about his family.

"Should we bring it up? I know we can't really call, but maybe offer to? Pretend?" Flynn asked. Scott seemed to think about it for a minute before nodding.

"When we sit down at dinner, we'll ask if we can call his mom for him. We'll say we can leave a message for her or something. Ziggy lived with his mom, right?" Dillon looked up and realized both men were waiting for him to answer.

"I don't know. He never talked about it." He shrugged his shoulders before turning to watch the little boy making a mess of the interior of his car.

Summer came in, her motorcycle skidding into it's usual place in the garage. She removed her helmet, shook out her blonde hair, and practically beamed when Ziggy jumped out of Dillon's car calling her name. She had two bags strapped to the back of the motorcycle.

"I brought you some presents!" she exclaimed. She took his hand and led him over to the couch. Dillon and Scott stayed back by the kitchen, but they watched his eyes light up as she showed him all she'd bought him. There was a box with about ten small cars in it as well as two books and a toy robot. She gave him three green t-shirts, three pair of black jeans, and some socks. He blushed when she handed him a pack of boxers in green, blue, and black, but quickly forgot about it when she pulled out a brand new pair of tennis shoes.

"I saved the best for last!" she said and he looked overwhelmed.

"More? But this is so much already!" Dillon watched Ziggy's eyes go wide as Summer held out a small teddy bear. It was fuzzy and had a green bowtie. He clutched it to his chest and then wrapped Summer in a hug. She laughed and left Ziggy to play with his new toys while she checked on dinner. Scott smirked at her.

"What? He needed some clothes. And something to do." She winked at him and they all had to concede the point. Nobody was sure how long Ziggy would be stuck as a child and they hadn't exactly been set up for a six year old to move in.

Flynn thrust some plates into Dillon's hands and then sent Scott off to collect the rest of the team for dinner. Dr. K refused to come out so Gem and Gemma took their plates in with her. Nobody was sure if she was that dedicated to the project or if she was just afraid of small children. According to Gem and Gemma, either was possible. Or it could have been both. They were mostly done eating when Scott finally broached the subject with Ziggy.

"Ziggy, do you know your phone number?" he finally asked. Ziggy nodded and Summer leveled Scott with a dangerous look. Dillon tried to silently convey the plan but she didn't quite catch on.

"Do you want us to call your mam?" Flynn asked. Ziggy shook his head emphatically.

"No! No you don't need to call her!" he said.

"Are you sure? She's probably worried about you," Dillon prompted. Ziggy was practically trembling, his eyes wide with fear.

"No, she's not worried about me. I'm safe here. I want to stay here!" he cried. Dillon looked at Scott and Flynn. They both seemed as confused as he was. Summer put her hand on Ziggy's shoulder.

"What about your dad, wouldn't he be worried?" Ziggy shook his head again.

"I don't have a dad. It's just me and my mom." He said it very quietly, and his voice shook. He was terrified of something.

"Ziggy, honey, it's okay. We don't have to call her right now. But… don't you want to go home?" she asked. He shook his head again. Summer looked worried.

"I like it here. I want to stay here. You'll take care of me, you said you would! You're nice here," he cried out. He looked down at his plate and began pushing the green beans around with his fork.

"Isn't your mam nice?" Flynn asked quietly. Ziggy was quiet a minute, but shook his head. He wouldn't look at any of them and Dillon heard the rhythmic thumping of tiny tennis shoes against stool legs. Ziggy was practically vibrating in his seat. But he was quiet. Ziggy was never quiet.

"It's okay, Ziggy. You can tell us," Summer reassured him, moving her hand to rub his back. Ziggy suddenly got very still. He didn't talk, he didn't move. It was disconcerting.

"Mama gets mad sometimes," he finally whispered. His lips were pursed and he wouldn't look at them. He began to trace an invisible pattern on the table. Summer seemed to put the pieces together and Dillon saw tears spring to her eyes.

"Ziggy, does she ever hit you?" she asked, her voice barely audible. Dillon was surprised at the question. He never would have suspected. Nobody could take their eyes off Ziggy, suddenly seeming so very small at the end of the counter. He was floored when, barely moving at all, Ziggy nodded.

"She only hits until you cry. She stops after that. It's… it's not so bad, really." He slid out of his chair and walked, slowly and quietly, over to his new toys. He sat on the floor behind the couch, his back against it, and began to roll his cars in slow, lazy circles. Dillon felt like he'd been punched in the gut. Flynn was staring at his plate, his fingers steepled in front of his forehead. Scott was poking at what was left on his plate. He looked like he was about to be sick. Dillon looked at all of them, waiting for somebody to do something. They all just sat. Summer was covering her mouth with her hand and trying, but failing, to stop the tears from falling. He didn't know what he was supposed to do, but he had to do something, so he stood up and walked over to Ziggy. The little boy looked up at him with wide, sad eyes. Dillon just looked down, not knowing what to say. Ziggy reached over for his robot. He held it out to Dillon.

"Want to play with me?" he asked. Dillon nodded and sat down. He crossed his legs and took the robot, making it chase the little cars. After a few minutes, Ziggy climbed into his lap and burrowed down as close as he could. He could feel Ziggy's heart pounding against his chest.

"I'll keep you safe," Dillon whispered, barely audible, into the soft curls.


	4. Chapter 4

Dillon had a lot of time to think at night. The rest of the team would be fast asleep but he, not needing much sleep and having trouble with what little sleep he did need, would spend hours in quiet contemplation. He would lie on the couch staring up at the ceiling of the garage. Sometimes he would listen for the different hums of the air conditioner, refrigerator, and computers. Sometimes he would make detailed plans in his head, things to do the next day, diagrams of the internal workings of The Fury and what he could improve, anything to keep his mind busy. Sometimes he'd ponder his teammates, their motivation for actions, their attitudes, the internal relationships they all shared. As of late, his mind mostly focused on Ziggy.

Flynn and Summer absolutely dominated Ziggy's time. Sometimes he'd have to be in the lab with Dr. K for testing which he hated. She made him stand still. Even as an adult, Ziggy had a hard time standing still. He would be thrown in there when they all had to run off for battles. That seemed almost worse than the testing because he didn't have Gem or Gemma to deflect some of Dr. K's discomfort. She wouldn't talk to him unless it was to give orders no matter how much he talked to her. She frequently looked at him like a deer caught in headlights. Dillon wasn't sure if it was because she felt guilty for the situation or if she was just scared. When they came back, he was always sitting in a corner with his knees pulled up, looking frustrated and petulant. He would light up when they came in, though. He'd cling to Summer or Flynn.

He enjoyed spending time with Flynn because Flynn would play with him long after the others got bored or tired. Flynn would read him six comic books in a row and then start all over again from the same stack. Flynn would run around with a soccer ball for hours at a time. Flynn was willing to play rough, to toss him around, to throw him in the air. Once they figured he'd be stuck as a child for some time to come and his energy levels necessitated leaving the confines of the garage once in awhile, Flynn would take him to the park when nobody else would bother. Flynn took him to the candy store twice in one day. Flynn taught him how to charm the cashier into giving him an extra lollipop just by looking sad. He never enforced the bedtime Scott tried so diligently to impose. Flynn was the fun big brother.

Ziggy liked Summer because she fawned over him. Summer coddled him. She would give him just about anything he asked for. If he hurt himself, which he seemed to do with startling regularity, she would snuggle and rock him until the tears stopped, even if Dillon suspected Ziggy kept himself crying longer than he needed to just so she'd hold him. She let him play dress up with her clothes, let him into her make-up. The bear she had given him became his constant companion and he treated it with such reverence, she even let him play with her blanket on occasion. She spoiled him, and he soaked up the attention like a sponge. Most children balked at being treated like a baby but Ziggy seemed to crave it from Summer.

Dillon suspected she was trying to make up for the abuse in Ziggy's life up to that point, but he wasn't sure it mattered. Dr. K and the Boom Twins had to be getting close to having the weapon fixed and the problem sorted. Ziggy wouldn't be a child, they could have their Green Ranger back, and he strongly suspected anything they did now wouldn't make a bit of difference once he was an adult again. Ziggy was a happy, generally well adjusted young man and while this child was more fragile, he already had coping mechanisms in place. All the coddling wasn't hurting anything, but the personality flips Ziggy would do depending on who was caring for him were almost startling to see. When he was an adult again, things would go back to the way they were before this whole mess. Mostly, he just wanted his best friend back.

If he was honest with himself, and he always was when thinking through things in the middle of the night, he was a little jealous of Summer and Flynn. Scott seemed happy to not have to deal with Ziggy too much after that first day, and Dillon suspected the others kept Ziggy away from him on purpose. He wasn't exactly the kid-friendly type, he knew that, but this wasn't just a little kid. This was Ziggy. Summer seemed to relish in her self-appointed task of mothering him. Whether it was because she loved kids or because it was Ziggy in particular, he wasn't sure. Flynn just liked kids. He liked their creativity and enjoyed just playing. He was good with them and while he couldn't always handle Ziggy's quirks as an adult, he apparently found them endearing in a small child.

Slightly jealous though he was, Dillon had the consolation prize. They might have dominated Ziggy's days, but Dillon got his nights. Dillon rarely slept. When he did, he had nightmares; visions of his past and haunting faded memories of his sister. Ziggy slept more than all of them combined, but Ziggy didn't sleep well. He'd always talked in his sleep, but Ziggy had nightmares now, and the monster in Ziggy's dreams wasn't the kind you could get rid of with a morpher and a cheesy one liner.

While it might have been Flynn he ran to during the day, and while it might have been Summer he choose to comfort him if he fell down, it was Dillon he cried for in the middle of the night. It was Dillon who would scoop him up and hold him close. It was Dillon who would carry him down to the couch and lay down, his strong arms wrapped around the small, trembling frame. He wouldn't say anything, he'd just hold Ziggy until the trembles stopped and he fell asleep again. Dillon would lie there all night, just holding on until dawn broke and Ziggy would stir awake.

He snaked his arms a little tighter against the solid weight on his chest. He listened to the deep, steady breathing and the quiet murmuring of Ziggy's dreams. He wouldn't admit it to anybody, of course, but he found it comforting himself. He liked knowing that somebody relied on him to chase the demons away.


	5. Chapter 5

Dillon was strapped down to the table in the lab and he was bored. Dr. K had been running scans on him all morning. She'd jump between projects, spending a few minutes analyzing his data and a few minutes writing the program for Ziggy. Frankly, he was tired of it. He couldn't get away, however. She'd planned for his patience to run out before her programs did. She had him secured pretty well and the last time he'd tried to break the bonds she'd made him clean all the air ducts with a pack of q-tips. He wasn't about to do that again.

She'd left him alone for a few minutes; disappeared behind a door he hadn't known had existed before. He supposed her room was back there somewhere, hidden away from the others. She hadn't returned, though, and he was stuck. So now he was just lying there, staring up at the blank white ceiling. The doors were left open and he could hear Flynn and Ziggy running around in the garage. He wasn't quite sure what was going on, but judging by the squeals of delight and occasional maniacal laughter, they were playing some sort of game.

He turned his head when he heard panting. Ziggy had snuck into the lab and was standing next to the door, his back pressed against the wall. He was wearing his usual clothes, plain jeans and a t-shirt, but he had black underwear on his head with holes cut out for his eyes. Summer's blanket was slung over his shoulders and fastened at his neck with what looked suspiciously like a fuel line clip. He was out of breath and gasping, staring at Dillon.

Flynn stalked past the door and it was all Dillon could do to not laugh. He was also wearing underwear on his head, though it didn't cover his face and flopped down by his ears, and he had no cape. Instead he was carrying around a cardboard tube that had been haphazardly decorated with glitter and butterfly stickers. He looked absolutely ridiculous. He went past, oblivious to the two in the lab, and Ziggy sighed in relief, his little hand over his heart.

"Hey," Dillon said quietly. Ziggy stared at him from the holes in his mask, chocolate brown eyes wide and unblinking.

"Why are you tied down?" he asked, pointing to the metal bonds that held Dillon firmly in place. Dillon wiggled a little.

"Dr. K had to do some tests." Ziggy pulled the underwear off his head and walked over to the table. He cautiously touched the bonds and looked at Dillon. His hair was sticking up at odd angles and Dillon smiled as he absent-mindedly blew the fringe out of his eyes.

"She doesn't strap me down when she does tests on me."

"I'm not as good a patient as you are," Dillon said. Ziggy kept poking at the straps, examining them closely. He walked around to the other side of the table and found the locking mechanism.

"Why is she doing tests?" he asked. Dillon frowned. He wasn't quite sure how much to explain.

"I have a virus. She's trying to fix me."

"You know what's good for viruses? Chicken soup! You should try it," he exclaimed, smiling up at Dillon.

"I'll let her know. So what are you and Flynn doing out there?" Dillon nodded his head towards the door and Ziggy momentarily looked out before ducking back down again.

"Flynn has been taken over by his evil other personality, Doctor Evil Dude. He's trying to use mind control and make all the citizens of Urban City do his very evil bidding. He stole the Wand of Sparkly Evilness and is wreaking havoc all over town. He didn't know Urban City was protected, though. I'm Super Underwear Boy and I'm going to stop him!" It all came out very quickly in one breath, as Ziggy's excited ramblings tended to do. Dillon raised an eyebrow.

"Super Underwear Boy?" he asked.

"Yeah, cause I wear underwear on my head, see?" Ziggy answered, holding up his underwear mask.

"The fight doesn't seem to be going too well," Dillon said, glancing out the door to see Flynn standing near the cars scratching his head. Ziggy shook his head morosely. He looked at the bonds again and smiled mischievously.

"Are you a hostage?" he asked quietly, slipping the underwear back over his head. Dillon nodded with a slight smirk on his face. Ziggy slipped his tiny fingers down into the locking mechanism on the table and fiddled with a few of the latches. Next thing Dillon knew, the bonds holding him retracted and he was free. He didn't know how Ziggy knew to pick locks, but he was grateful. He stood up quickly and offered his thanks.

"No need to thank me, Citizen! It's just what superheroes do," Ziggy said, puffing up his chest and flexing his muscles. Dillon laughed. Ziggy slipped his hand into Dillon's much larger one and smiled up at him.

"Why don't we go out there and find Doctor Evil Dude? I think we can take him, just the two of us." Ziggy nodded and took off at a run.

They found Flynn easily enough and Ziggy jumped on his back. He wasn't expecting the added force of Dillon, however, and was easily overtaken. Dillon wrestled the Wand of Sparkly Evilness out of his hand and they threw him into jail with the rest of the bad guys. Jail consisted mostly of Ziggy rambling on and on about superheroes and comics while eating a bowl of ice cream, but Dillon supposed that was punishment enough.

Dr. K emerged from the lab with a disgruntled look on her face. Dillon quickly looked down into his own bowl of ice cream, wishing he were more inconspicuous. He had no such luck.

"Dillon. I wasn't finished," she said and tapped her foot impatiently. He sighed and tipped his bowl into the sink. He rose to follow her but stopped when he heard an evil laugh. Flynn had stood up, propped one foot on the stool, and cackled maniacally.

"My evil plan has come to fruition! Alone at last, I shall conquer you, Super Underwear Boy!" Ziggy thrust the underwear mask on his head again and jumped off the stool.

"Never give up! Never surrender!" he cried and lunged at Flynn. Flynn jumped out of reach and ran straight out the open door of the garage, shrieking like a little girl all the while. Ziggy picked up the Wand of Sparkly Evilness and chased after him brandishing it like a sword. Dillon shook his head and entered the lab. At least somebody was having fun.


	6. Chapter 6

"Whatcha doin?" a small voice asked. Dillon glanced out from underneath the car. He could see little black tennis shoes with the laces undone and pants that were double rolled.

"Just checking some things," he replied. Ziggy's head angled down into view and Dillon watched the waves of hair fall away from his face.

"Want to go to the park?" he asked. Dillon lifted his head just enough to meet Ziggy's eyes.

"Not really," he said. Ziggy shifted down to rest on his knees and elbows. He put his chin in his hands and pouted in Dillon's general direction.

"Flynn said we could go if I could get somebody to drive us. His car's busted." Dillon slid out from under his car and stood up, Ziggy following suit. He looked over at the Hummer. Flynn wasn't working on it and nothing looked out of place.

"What's wrong with the Hummer?" he asked. Ziggy smiled innocently.

"I threw up in it yesterday."

"That doesn't mean it's broken. That just means Flynn won't let you ride in it." Ziggy just looked at him. His eyes went wide and he stuck out his lower lip.

"Plleeeaassseeeee, Dillon?" He clasped his hands in front of him and gave about the saddest look Dillon had ever seen. He sighed.

"Okay, fine, but no throwing up in my car, got it?"

"I won't! I haven't had any candy yet today," he said matter of factly. He ran off to get Flynn and Dillon shook his head. What had he just agreed to?

Half an hour later, they were at an empty park with a small playground. Dillon lounged on a park bench while Flynn chased Ziggy for awhile. Flynn was tiring out quickly, though, and eventually joined Dillon, leaving Ziggy to his own devices. They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes.

"He asked me last night how long he could stay with us," Flynn said quietly. He leaned back and ran a hand through his hair before stretching out. Dillon looked up at the little boy jumping on the bridge of the playset.

"What did you tell him?" he asked. Flynn sighed and picked at some loose paint.

"I told him he could stay until he was ready to go home. I couldn't think of anything else! We can't just tell him what happened and it's already been a week. Who knows how much longer the Doc will be, yeah?" Dillon hummed low in his throat and continued to watch Ziggy. "He said he wanted to stay forever," Flynn continued. Dillon leaned back and looked at him. Flynn suddenly looked very old and very sad. He stared at the little boy running around, oblivious to their conversation, and Dillon was struck with the thought that maybe Flynn didn't want Ziggy back.

"He can't stay forever. We need our Ziggy back," Dillon said, glaring.

"He is our Ziggy." Flynn frowned.

"You know what I mean," Dillon said, finally breaking eye contact. He leaned forward and squared his shoulders. The conversation was over. Flynn didn't push it. Dr. K's voice came out over Flynn's morpher, high pitched and sounding a little desperate.

"Flynn, we're picking up Grinders heading straight for you. There is no attack bot, but Tenaya 7 is leading the way. Get Ziggy and get out of there!" Dillon was on his feet the minute she said Tenaya and he was racing towards the playground equipment. Ziggy was at the top, near the monkey bars. He skidded to a halt at the base and reached his hands up.

"Ziggy, jump, NOW!" he yelled. Ziggy didn't ask questions, didn't hesitate. He picked up the urgency in Dillon's voice and did exactly as he was told. Dillon caught him easily and set him down, pointing him in the direction of the car and telling him to run. He looked behind him and saw Flynn stopped by the bench. There were ten grinders and Tenaya just coming over the crest of a hill. There wasn't any time to get away. She'd seen them. He caught up with Ziggy in a few steps and picked him up, practically throwing him in the car.

"Stay here, stay low. Don't get out of the car no matter what, do you understand me?" Ziggy nodded and Dillon took off at a run, meeting Flynn just as the Grinders attacked. Tenaya walked right past them and headed directly for Dillon's car. She tossed an order over her shoulder, instructing the grinders to keep them busy, and then smiled.

"No!" he screamed, taking out two Grinders with one powerful kick.

"Dillon, go! I've got this!" Flynn called from somewhere to his right. He didn't hesitate.

"Don't trouble yourself," she called, quickening her pace towards the car. Three Grinders grabbed his arms and held him back. He fought them off, but it was too late. Tenaya was at the car. He could hear Ziggy scrambling to get away, but she was too fast. She grabbed his arms and hauled him out, holding him close. He struggled, but she was too strong.

"Dillon!" he screamed, but Dillon couldn't stop her. He knew he couldn't stop her. She didn't even bother to look and see if he was attacking. She kept her eyes on the little boy held firmly in her grasp.

"You see, we picked up something interesting on the monitors last night. Green's bio-signal with all the others, but Green wasn't there, hasn't been for awhile. So we watched. And all we saw was this little boy, the new Ranger Pet, lost and clueless and so alone. But he had Green's bio-signal and it didn't take long to figure out what had happened. Sure enough, here he is. Ranger Series Green. Just a child. You can imagine my surprise! So fragile when they're this small, humans, aren't they? So. Easy. To break." She stroked one hand down Ziggy's cheek and then clasped his chin tightly. He stopped struggling.

"Let him go, Tenaya. He's just a kid." Dillon pulled out his morpher. He heard Flynn make short work of the last of the Grinders and then come up on his side. They wanted to attack, but they couldn't, not when she was holding Ziggy in front of her like a shield. He kept looking from Tenaya to Dillon and back again.

"Oh he's not just a kid. This little abomination shouldn't even be here right now!" She laughed and Dillon looked behind her for Scott's car or Summer's motorcycle, any hint that the others were coming. She shifted Ziggy and hugged him close, cradling him as if he were her own.

"Did they tell you who you are, Little Boy Green? Did they tell you where you came from? You're a Power Ranger, Ziggy, and this is your future. You don't belong here, though. You're… wrong. I can fix that, though. Once I kill you, you'll never make it here. And the rest? They'll be so easy to clean up." She set him down carefully but he didn't run away. He just stood there, staring at her, and Dillon slid into attack mode. Gently she ran her robotic hand through his curls. It was almost tender, the way she was petting him. Dillon started to move forward as soon as she backed up a bit and then came the roar of Scott's car. Tenaya looked out towards the incoming rangers and then down at Ziggy.

"You remember what I said, Little Green Ranger. You aren't what they said you are. You don't belong here," and with a kiss to his forehead, she turned and ran. Ziggy just stood there, next to Dillon's car, confusion surrounding him. Scott, Summer, Gem, and Gemma came racing up.

"She's gone!" Scott yelled. Dillon was watching Ziggy. He was staring after Tenaya. He looked down at his shoes and then up at Dillon.

"Is it true? Is that why you're all being so nice to me?" he asked. Everybody froze. Nobody answered. He looked at each one in turn. "IS IT TRUE?" he yelled this time. Ziggy's gaze bore through him and he knew he was the one Ziggy expected to answer. Dillon nodded.

"It's true." He took a step forward, but as he did so, Ziggy took a step back. He backed right into the car, and then rolled off the hood. He took off running and Flynn made to go after him, but Dillon stopped him.

"Let him go. Doc K can track him. I'll wait. Give him some time."


	7. Chapter 7

Dillon waited by the car. The others had long since left for the garage and he made sure to get regular updates from Dr. K. Ziggy was still in the park. He hadn't moved, actually, from the last place he'd stopped. So Dillon waited. And waited some more. After an hour and a half, and just as the sun was beginning to set, he saw him. Ziggy trudged to the car and climbed into the passenger seat. His eyes were red and there were streaks through the dirt on his cheeks. He didn't say a word and Dillon didn't prompt it. He just walked around to the other side and started to drive home.

"Why'd you lie? Mama lies. People who love you don't lie to you," he finally asked, looking down at his hands. If Dillon didn't have super human hearing, he's not sure he would have heard it at all.

"Would you have believed the truth? You didn't know where you were, didn't recognize us, you didn't trust us at all. We do love you, Ziggy, but we had to keep you safe." Ziggy sighed deeply and stared out the window.

"So I didn't get hit on the head and my mama isn't out there somewhere waiting for me. So what really happened?" he asked. Dillon took a deep breath. It wouldn't do any good to lie anymore, so he told him the whole thing. He told him how it was fifteen years into the future for all Ziggy knew. He told him about the weapon, about the testing, about the molecular rewrite. Ziggy poked at his stomach at that part, but otherwise remained quiet. Dillon told him about what a good guy he was, how he was happy, how he didn't want to be a ranger at first but really rose to the challenge. He told Ziggy how he was glad to know him, but that he missed his best friend very much.

"Were you just bein' nice to me 'till I could grow up again?" Ziggy looked at him, finally, and he glanced down into the tear-streaked face. It was a lot to put on a little kid. Dillon shook his head.

"No, we're nice to you because we're your friends. We care about you no matter what size you are." Ziggy nodded and turned away again. He pressed his face against the window and watched the buildings fly by.

"Do I help people? Do I chase their monsters away?" Ziggy asked quietly.

"You helped a lot of people for a long time before you became a Power Ranger. You keep people safe, you always have," he answered. Ziggy smiled a little at that, but he didn't ask any more questions.

Everyone was waiting for them when they pulled into the garage. Even Dr. K was out of her lab, the little gun that started it all in her hands. Summer clutched the bear she had given Ziggy and, when he got out of the car, ran over to hug him. When he didn't hug back, she pulled back and looked at him, searching his face.

"I'm not a baby." He started to walk towards Dr. K but stopped and thought for a minute. He walked back to Summer and took the bear from her hands. Clutching it tight, and looking rather more like the baby he insisted he wasn't, he approached Dr. K. Her eyes widened and she actually took a step back.

"I think I'd like to go home now, please," he said, looking up at her with wide, expectant eyes. She opened her mouth and Dillon could tell she was about to start a tirade on how he wouldn't actually be going home, how it wasn't as if time travel was involved, and he'd actually just cease to exist rather than go back fifteen years to his mother. Dillon stopped her before she could start.

"Is it ready yet, Doc? That's all he wants to know." She nodded.

"It's untested, but it's as ready as it will ever be." She beckoned them into the lab and they all crowded behind her computers. Ziggy stood alone in the middle of the open room.

"We reversed the polarities," Gem said, rubbing his eyes. They'd been working round the clock and all three looked about ready to collapse.

"It should revert him back to the exact molecular state from the time of the accident." Gemma said. "He probably won't remember any of this anymore than he did when he first woke up." They all nodded. Nobody really understood it, but it was easier to go along with it.

"Wait!" Dillon wasn't sure what he was stopping exactly. They hadn't even started yet, but he wanted to make something very clear to the little boy who would soon disappear completely. He walked over and knelt in front of Ziggy. He straightened the little green shirt, brushed the hair out of his face, and then sighed.

"You'll be okay, right?" Ziggy smiled, the first real smile that evening.

"All I ever wanted was somebody to love me." He reached out and wrapped his little arms around Dillon's neck. Dillon squeezed him back and smiled. There was his Ziggy, the best friend he knew and loved. He'd missed him.

"You have people who love you. We're right here. And you know you'll find us, right?" Ziggy pulled back and nodded. Dillon left him standing alone in the middle of the room and trotted back to the others. Summer had tears in her eyes again but she was smiling. Scott ruffled his hair.

"Dillon, I didn't know you were such a big softie," he said. Dillon grimaced.

"Can we just get on with it?" he asked, looking at Dr. K. She nodded and fired the gun three times off to the side. She checked the readings and then handed it to Ziggy.

"Point it toward that corner and just push this button, okay?" He nodded, aimed, and when Dr. K was safely out of the way, fired. The force knocked him back and he dropped the bear, but a blue light emanated from the back of the gun and froze him mid-air. They watched as it pulsed and vibrated until it finally popped, the gun clattering to the floor. Ziggy landed with a loud thump next to it, unconscious, and fully grown.


	8. Chapter 8

They'd moved him to the couch again. He was still unconscious. But he was breathing, he had a pulse, and he seemed okay. Scott ran around and collected all the toys and clothes the younger Ziggy had left lying around. Dillon caught Summer out of the corner of his eye. She quietly picked up the stuffed bear off the lab floor and took it up to her bedroom. He had a feeling that bear wasn't going to the donation box like the rest of the stuff. They'd both just made it back to the living area when Ziggy, with all his shaggy hair and gangly limbs, woke with a start. He sat up and looked around, taking ragged breaths.

"Do you know who you are? Where you are?" Summer asked anxiously. Ziggy looked at her like she was crazy.

"I'm in the garage… where else would I be, Summer?" he asked. She launched herself at him and practically knocked him over.

"Woah, woah, woah. Calm down, it's okay!" he reassured. He patted her awkwardly on the back and looked around at the others. Flynn and Scott were jumping on each other. Gem and Gemma were hugging. Even Dr. K was starting to tear up. Dillon just sat and smiled.

"Did I miss something?" Ziggy asked when Summer finally let him go.

"We're just glad to have you back, buddy!" Scott clamped a hand down on Ziggy's shoulder. Dillon thought he would hug him, but Scott apparently thought better of it and let go.

"Uh… did I go somewhere?" Ziggy asked with a chuckle.

"In a manner of speaking," Flynn laughed.

"It's a long story, Zig," Dillon said. He couldn't get the smile off his face though and Ziggy looked at him with a warmth that he had missed the past week. This was definitely his Ziggy and he was overcome with emotions he hadn't quite prepared for, just at having him back. Dr. K cleared her throat and, after wiping her eyes, beckoned him into the lab.

"I have some tests to run. You've been… not entirely here… for a week. If you'll follow me, Ziggy?" She stomped off and Ziggy rose to follow, confused.

"Ziggy? You called me Ziggy!" he exclaimed, following her into the lab, a huge smile spreading across his face. He looked back at the others. "She called me Ziggy!" He bounced on his heels and then disappeared.

It was an hour before Dr. K let him out. She was satisfied he was healthy. There had been no ill side effects from the transformations. She hadn't explained much to him, though, just that he'd been transformed into something else for a week and she was glad to have him back. She then went to destroy the weapon, just in case. He joined the others in the main room. They were all waiting for him, pretty much in the same positions they'd been in when he left. He looked at Dillon first.

"So… what did I turn into for a week? Was I, like, a fish or something cool like that?" He plopped down on the couch and waggled his eyebrows.

"Ziggy, did you have a happy childhood?" Summer blurted. He raised one eyebrow and looked around. They were all waiting for his answer and Dillon could tell he had no clue why. It only made sense, his confusion. They'd never bothered to ask before.

"Why does that matter?" he asked. She took a shuttering breath, trying to hold back the tears again.

"I just… need to know," she finally stuttered. Ziggy held up his hands against the impending tears.

"Okay okay, please don't cry. It was pretty good, I guess. Had some rough spots, but they all do don't they?" He looked at her hopefully and she nodded, but couldn't speak.

"Did you live with your mam or…?" Flynn asked, struggling to find a way to finish the sentence. He was rubbing circles on Summer's back, trying to help her calm down.

"Why all the questions about my childhood? C'mon guys, I don't like talking about it. I want to know what happened this week." Ziggy complained. He was frowning.

"It's been a… an educational week, Ziggy. We just need to know, okay?" Ziggy nodded but Dillon knew he really didn't understand yet, not yet.

"I was raised at St. Hedwig's Home for Orphaned and Abandoned Children. The nurses were really nice though, and the kids were good to me. It wasn't so bad." He looked almost defeated, like it was the last big secret he had, but Dillon knew that was all an act. Ziggy always had been good at pretending.

"And when did you go to that orphanage?" Scott prompted. They were being a little more obvious than initially intended, but Ziggy didn't seem to catch on. Either that or he was being purposefully obtuse. Dillon suspected the latter. It had worked wonders for him up to this point.

"What, do you want my life story or something?" He sighed when they all just looked at him expectantly. "Okay, fine. I don't know what is going on or what kind of alternate reality I've woken up in, but whatever. When I was seven, my mom lost custody of me and I was put in the orphanage. I liked it there. People were nice to me. I also learned how to pick pockets and steal things, and eventually was recruited by the Scorpion Cartel where I committed numerous crimes, spent a lovely four months in jail, finally culminating in me stealing medical supplies from the entirety of the Corinth mafia and giving those supplies to the kids at the new orphanage run by the nurse that raised me. I had to leave the city because they wanted me dead, I met Dillon in the Wasteland, we came back, I became the Green Ranger, and I think we're up to speed now, yes? Now do I need to check for concussions or something? Because you guys are acting really really weird. Dr. K calls me Ziggy, you guys are asking personal questions like you're interested… what is going on?"

"You weren't a fish, Ziggy. You were six." Dillon looked down at his hands. Ziggy sputtered and looked around, but nobody would meet his eyes.

"Six. I was… six? Six what? I don't get it."

"When that thing overloaded it rewrote your molecules or genes or something to some previous copy. You were six years old. You were exactly as you were when you were six. years. old. For an entire week." Dillon finally looked up and met Ziggy's eyes. He laughed. He didn't believe them.

"You're kidding me, right? I mean, scientifically, that… it isn't even possible, is it?" he asked. He immediately looked to Gem and Gemma. They shrugged. Maybe it wasn't supposed to be possible, but Dr. K had done the impossible before. It wouldn't be the first time. Scott ran off to grab the box. He showed Ziggy the clothes Summer had bought him, the toys he played with. Summer pulled out the stack of pictures they'd collected from the kitchen, things from his past nobody else knew, things only Ziggy could have drawn.

"We read comics together!" Flynn offered.

"You had nightmares. Every single night," Dillon said quietly, watching Ziggy's face. Ziggy stood up and began to pace. He looked around at the pictures, fingered the clothes Scott had shown him. He looked at each ranger in turn trying to suss out the joke. He stopped and looked at Dillon.

"What did he tell you? I mean, I. What did I tell you?" his voice was barely above a whisper. And there it was. That fear again. When Ziggy got scared, really truly scared, he went still. And while he was staring at Dillon with a challenge in his eyes, he had gone completely still.

"He told us enough. Who found out when you were seven?" Dillon wouldn't look away. Apparently neither would Ziggy. He squared his shoulders, pursed his lips, and held his head high.

"The hospital. She went too far. The state just… took me." He'd barely finished when he had arms full of a crying Summer again. He patted her awkwardly and pleaded silently for help. Instead of pulling Summer off, Dillon walked up and hugged him too. Then Flynn came up behind them and joined in. Scott, Gem, and Gemma even piled onto the hug.

"Look, guys, I'm glad for all this sudden affection and everything, but you're kind of creeping me out here," Ziggy said, his voice muffled from inside the pile of people. Still, nobody moved.

Two hours later, while Flynn recounted the many misadventures of Young Ziggy, Dillon crept upstairs to stand in Summer's open bedroom door. She was sitting on her bed, holding the little bear close to her.

"He isn't any different," she said.

"Did you expect him to be?" he asked, surprised. She looked up at him.

"It feels like he should be different." She hugged the bear. "I'm going to miss him; the little him." Dillon looked behind him at the young man laughing at Flynn. He would miss the little boy, sure, but his heart swelled with happiness. He had his best friend back and he wouldn't change it for the world.

He came down the stairs two at a time, leaving Summer lost in thought while she clutched the little bear. The others had slowly left, wandering off to bed. Ziggy was sitting on the couch rolling one of the little cars back and forth on his leg. Dillon sat down next to him.

"Flynn wants to take me home to meet his dad. He says I'd fit right in. I think he's trying to adopt me," Ziggy said. He didn't even look up.

"He got really attached to the little kid." Dillon watched him. Ziggy kept rolling the car across his leg.

"Summer keeps looking at me like I'm her puppy. Dr. K calls me by my name now. Scott actually talks to me. It's weird. Everybody is acting so different."

"Even me?" Dillon asked. Ziggy didn't really answer, just looked at him out of the corner of his eye briefly.

"I don't remember any of it. I'm missing a whole week of my life. I remember firing the gun and then waking up on the couch with all of you suddenly treating me like I matter," he said quietly.

"You do matter, Ziggy. You always have," Dillon said, reaching for Ziggy's hand. He pulled back and stood up quickly, the little car clattering to the floor.

"Have I? Really? Always the butt of the jokes, always the one lagging behind. It took me being an overly dramatic six year old for a week for Dr. K to call me by my name when she's used your name for MONTHS now! You all act like everything is different but it's not! Nothing has changed! I'm still me, the same me I was before, but now that all of you look at me and see the little kid, now I'm worth being nice to?" Dillon was a little surprised, but he couldn't really blame Ziggy. He was just always so easy to pick on. It might have been all in good fun on their end, and they thought he took it well too, but maybe laughing it off was just Ziggy's coping mechanism.

"I don't see the little kid. I see you," Dillon said, trying to explain.

"You still look at me different." Ziggy glared.

"I'm sorry," Dillon said for lack of anything else to say. Ziggy just huffed.

"Yeah, well, maybe it's a good thing. I was getting tired of being everybody's butt monkey." He stomped off and Dillon chased after him.

"Hey, why didn't you tell us?" He grabbed Ziggy's shoulder and turned him around. "About your mom, the orphanage, all that stuff." Ziggy cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes.

"Does it matter? Does you knowing about my past change who I am?" Dillon knew it didn't; of all people Dillon understood that. He shook his head, but he wouldn't let go of Ziggy's arm. Ziggy sighed and he could see it in his eyes. Ziggy gave up whatever fight he was about to wager. Dillon pulled him in closer.

"I missed you, y'know. You're still Ziggy and now you're back. That's all I wanted," he whispered. Ziggy stared at him, his eyes locked on Dillon's, searching. He wouldn't hide anymore, but he didn't know how to say what he was feeling, so he just let it all show on his face. He waited. He watched as Ziggy found whatever he was looking for and then Ziggy smiled at him. Brilliant, wide, enthusiastic; a radiant Ziggy smile.

"All I ever wanted was somebody to love me," he whispered. Dillon pulled Ziggy into a tight hug and was surprised when he didn't resist. Ziggy wrapped his arms tightly around Dillon's waist and buried his face in the curve of his neck. He could feel Ziggy's lashes tickling him. He placed a cautious kiss to the spot just in front of Ziggy's ear and was rewarded with a deep chuckle.

"It'll be different now, you know, whether you want it to or not," Dillon said. Ziggy pulled back just enough to meet him with a chaste kiss on his lips and then stepped out of the hug. He took Dillon's hand in his own and looked him straight in the eyes.

"I hope so."


End file.
